Minneapolis school board sets out to fill vacant District 3 seat

The Minneapolis school board is moving to fill the vacancy created by the resignation last week of member Faheema Feerayarre, who represented District 3 in the city’s center.

Board members plan to appoint a replacement — who will serve out a term ending Jan. 4, 2027 — at its monthly meeting Nov. 12, according to a timeline set Tuesday.

Online applications will be accepted beginning Friday and will close Oct. 18. Then, on Oct. 21, the district will post the candidates’ names and answers to questions involving their skills and experience, why they are seeking the appointment, and whether they plan to run for the seat in November 2026.

Current office-holders sometimes are reluctant to give a “leg up” to future candidates when filling vacancies, although applicants are not bound to answers regarding their electoral intentions.

A public interview session is planned with up to eight candidates on Nov. 7.

Board Member Adriana Cerrillo pushed on Tuesday for the in-person interviews, saying they’d help board members gauge how “personally invested” the candidates are and whether they might be viewing the office as a stepping stone.

“A person’s application is not good enough,” Cerrillo said.

District 3 includes the Seward, Powderhorn Park and Phillips neighborhoods.